Waking Up
by boywithbreadlover
Summary: "But there are much worse games to play." It was all a dream.
1. Chapter 1

**I hope you like it!**

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"_But there are much worse games to play." _

I gasp as my fingers claw into the empty bed. The house felt cold and drafty as I open my eyes. This wasn't the huge house in Victor Village that I had last found myself in, but instead my old house in the seam, I thought it had fallen apart ages ago. And why would Peeta and I move the family here? Did I really miss it so much?

And that's when I turn my head and see her, not my daughter for she had chestnut hair like me, but Prim, snuggling into my mothers arm, her small ample breaths coming in and out, in and out. A tear drops from my eye, what kind of cruel dream was this. I had already had her in two dreams this week, I didn't need another.

I watch as she yawns, she is still slightly innocent, like she was that morning of that fateful reaping, I feel like hugging her and never letting go.

"Katniss? I'm scared." She stands and runs into my arms, I feel her nestle her head into my chest, this is one of the things I missed the most.

"Shh, there's no need Prim. We're safe." I say quietly into her blonde hair.

"What if I'm the one drawn?" She cries. I'm confused, drawn? It takes me minutes to respond for I'm taken by surprise. I come to a realization. A heart breaking, realization. Was all that, that whole life time, a dream? The Games, the rebellion, the deaths? Did Peeta Mellark even know of my existence?

"Shh, it's okay. Prim," I tilt her head up towards mine, "I have to go. I'll be back soon." I don't put on all my hunting gear because I know that I can meet Gale a little later than usual. I had just lived a whole, broken lifetime and I wasn't sure what to think.

I think of Peeta and my heart races, how could a dream make me fall deeply in love?

I run to the bakery as fast as my body wills me. Was it true, did he frost the cakes?

I see him there, kneading through dough, his eyes focused on his hands. Mr. Mellark greets me, but I don't respond, instead I walk straight to Peeta who doesn't look up until I begin to talk, and then his eyes widen.

"Peeta, I need you not to question me, I just I need to talk to you." He looks shocked and lost, but nowhere in his eyes do I see the insanity that the hijacking had given him. It eases the pain, just a little.

"Right now?" He asks.

"Yes."

"Outside?"

"Preferably."

He follows after when I turn around and walk out the door. No limp. He has both legs. I look at my arms, not covered with burns. I wonder if back at the Mayors house if Madge really has that iconic Mockingjay pin.

"Listen. I had a dream, a big long dream and it spanned over years, but you were there. The whole time you were there. Look, I don't know you that well, but I feel like I know you more than I know my own self, and there's just one part of the dream that I need to know is true. Peeta, you love me. Real or not real?" It's silly, me hoping for him to recognize the phrase and the meaning it had to me, but something does catch in his eye as I say it.

"Katniss, I-," He pauses, "Real."

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**Thank you for reading this! If you liked it please feel free to check out my other fanfics!**

**Don't forget to REVIEW on the way out! Thanks! ~boywithbreadlover**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, well, I didn't expect to carry this one on, but I thought I'd add just one more part because people were asking! Enjoy!**

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There were a number of things I could have done after Peeta gave me that fateful answer. It scared me how accurate my dream had been about him. His blue eyes are the very eyes I had started to fall in love with in the cave, the same eyes I had looked into right before I had turned to put the berries in my mouth. The very eyes our young daughter had.

I choke back a sob, I missed them. I missed waking up to their high pitch voices and their laughter as they jumped on the bed. How had I become so attached to children that had never actually lived?

And that's when I see the slow walk of the people around me, it is reaping day. The Games were still going on, Snow still had a hold on us. How was I supposed to live again in a world devoid of hope? Peeta looks at me longingly, the way he did in my dream a multitude of times, he was and always would be my hope. My dandelion.

"Don't, don't question me, just… just, trust me." I take a step towards him. My lover, my friend, my protector, my ally, my whole body ached for him, for his touch, his gentle lips, his kind caring voice in my ear.

We get closer and closer until finally my lips have reached his. This kiss is different than the ones I remember from my dream, not so tragic, not so much loss involved in it, but it was every bit as beautiful.

I'm not sure what breaks our lips apart, maybe it's the weak human need for air, or the small group of people that I'm sure were staring at us, but once our lips are apart I'm in his arms and he's holding me like he did all those years when I told him I couldn't have children. How does he know I like him to place his hand there? How does he know I like to lay my head onto his shoulder?

"I missed you." I don't realize that I'm crying until I hear the sobs in my voice. He must think I'm crazy by now, I'm just happy he doesn't let go.

He doesn't answer, only runs his hand over my head like he did in my dream all the time. How did he know?

"You must think I'm crazy, coming to you like this, out of the blue. I mean I've ignored you all these years and you saved my life! You gave me bread that saved my life! And all I did was avoid your gaze and here I am now telling you that I had this dream and it just changes everything. And I don't know how, but Peeta, I'm in love with you." I whisper this hurriedly into his ear and he's the only one that can hear it. I feel his muscles tense up at some points, but by the end he continues to brush his hand across my head.

"Was it beautiful?" He whispers back. His voice is so youthful, no loss, or insanity tainting it now.

"What?"

"Our life."

"Parts were scary and heartbreaking and down right horrible, but there were some parts that were absolutely gorgeous. Like our wedding, no one was invited, only you and I and the fire before us and it was a good night, I'd never been so sure about anything. And also the births of our children, you got this joy in your eyes and it was absolutely beautiful. And the nights in the cave at the beginning of our relationship, there was some beauty in those. And the night you tried to convince me to stay alive on the beach, that was scary, but at the same time absolutely beautiful."

I talk slow through this, smiling at the fake memories that now overtook my mind.

"And you know what the most beautiful part was? We were free." I notice that him and I sway back and forth like one of the dances that Effie had taught us in my dream.

"You think I'm crazy don't you?" I ask him.

He pulls his face away from mine and his eyes look straight into mine and I feel like I'm drowning, "No, I've been waiting for something like this." He whispers.

"Katniss?" I hear Gale's rough voice over the courtyard and I instantly let go of Peeta. I hadn't seen Gale in my dream for years he was in every sense of the saying, a sight for sore eyes. He was young, and didn't show the lines of worry that the war had given all of us. I don't run to him, after all I still felt a sense of betrayal.

And that's what his eyes show as he sees how close I am to Peeta.

"Look, I can't hunt today. I should've told you, something's happened. I mean, I had this crazy dream. A whole lifetime! And I can't help, but feel it was real." He doesn't look angry, only confused. I had never talked to any boys, let alone let myself stand so close and intimate to one like I was now. And Peeta Mellark? How strange it must seem to Gale that I would choose the baker's son over him.

Gale didn't even know about the bread, how random a choice it would seem to an onlooker.

"What?" It's the only word to drop out of his mouth. He wouldn't believe some silly excuse, like it was a dream. I had to have a real reason for Gale and right now I didn't have one at all.

I look at Peeta and back at Gale, "I have to go, I'll see you at the reaping." I turn and walk away from both of them, I know Peeta won't follow, but I wasn't sure about Gale. I listen to hear his footfalls behind me, but they never come. It's depressing in the least because even in my dream he never tried.

It was Christmas cards and congratulations when the kids were born, nothing more. I did miss him a lot, and maybe if he tried we could have been friends again. Now's the chance for that to start again, after all in this life it never actually ended.

I don't actually go to my house first; instead I turn my path towards the Mayor's large house. I had to know if Madge even had the pin, and they were sure to have Capitol broadcasting on in their house, I had to see if Finnick was being interviewed, I missed him.

Madge is the one to answer and sure enough there is the pin adorned on her chest. I smile at it and compliment it, trying not to start crying because of all the memories.

"Are they doing victor interviews? Have they interviewed Finnick Odair?" I ask, walking into their house with out even asking.

"I never thought you'd be a Finnick girl." She laughed, but I wasn't up for small talk. I find a television and sure enough, there is Finnick laughing with an interviewer.

"So how has the last year been?" The blue-skinned man asks him.

"District Four has been mighty beautiful this year. I have missed the Capitol and it's ladies though." Had my mind made up his and Annie's affair? Did Snow sell his body to people? I couldn't be sure, Finnick threw on that smile and he could deceive anybody. I turn away from the television and tell Madge I had lost track of time on the walk over here. I left her house forgetting how thankful I was that she was still alive.

By the time I got home it was an hour from the reaping. I tell my mom and Prim about the dream, not going into huge details, they don't know about the hijacking or Prim's death or even that I had dreamed of two beautiful children. Only the basic, and that's all they needed.

I feel the story calms Prim because if I dreamed it then how could it really come true, but I find myself more worried about this reaping than any before. My fingers shake as I put my own dress on, I refuse my mothers offer of the blue one from her childhood, it made it seem as if it really would happen the way I dreamt it.

The walk to the city center is short and we are there before most people. I see Peeta and wave to him with a smile. Gale avoids my smile and looks the other way. Had me being with Peeta really made him so cold to me?

I listen patiently as the Mayor goes through his speech and then Effie is up. Effie, sweet, Effie. I even missed her. I watch her walk to the large bowl of all the girls' names, I catch my breath, and it seemed like an eternity for her to walk to the microphone again. I hear the taped paper rip open and watch as she open her mouth. My dream couldn't come true. Could it?

The End.

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**I'm leaving you on a cliff hanger like inception because I like doing that to people!**

**Don't forget to REVIEW on the way out! Thanks. ~boywithbreadlover**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello everyone! I hate for it to look like I'm updating it and writing more to just have this update from me. That was the end, I'm very sorry to tell all of you. And I know you all hate me for leaving you at that cliffhanger, but I think it's great that I can leave it open for you! I have my reasons for it and if you would like to know why you can PM me! I'd be happy to explain to anyone who wants to know. Thank You! ~boywithbreadlover**

**Also if guest Amanthya has an account and is reading this, I would like you to PM me so I can explain things to you! Thank you!**


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